Thai fried rice INGREDIENTS: 100ml vegetable oil 3 medium sized onions, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely

chopped 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbs. red curry paste OR 1 tbs. bottled chili or Tabasco sauce 500 gms cooked peeled prawns, beef, pork, chicken or ham 3 eggs, lightly beaten 880 gms cooked rice, preferably cooked the day before and chilled 2 tbs. fish sauce 1 capsicum, sliced 50 gms green beans, finely sliced 1 tomato, chopped 2 tbs. chopped spring onions Garnish: Cucumber slices, chili flowers, spring onion curls or fresh coriander leaves PREPARATION: Heat oil in a large wok over medium heat. Stir-fry onions and garlic until garlic is golden. Add sugar and stir to dissolve; if using curry paste, add and stir-fry. Stir in prawns and meat pieces. Push to one side. Using a little more oil if necessary, add beaten eggs. Wait a few moments for them to set, then lightly scramble them. Add rice. Stir-fry until heated through. Sprinkle with chili sauce, if using and fish sauce. Add capsicum, beans, tomato and spring onions. Stir-fry briefly to heat through. Dont over cook. Taste to see if extra fish sauce or a touch of sugar is needed. Remove and serve with garnishes of your choice.

KHAO PAD -

PLA JIAN - whole fish with ginger sauce

INGREDIENTS; 700 gms whole fish, snapper or bream 1 tbs. vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 spring onions cut into 2 cm pieces 1 tbs. finely chopped gingerroot 1 tsp. chopped pickled soy bean OR 1 tbs. fish sauce 1 tbs. sugar 1 tbs. turmeric powder 250 ml chicken stock 1 tbs. tamarind juice tsp. white pepper 1 tbs. cornflour mixed to a thin paste with cold water 1 tbs. capsicum, cut into fine strips 2 tbs. sliced onions 6 sprigs fresh coriander, to garnish PREPARATION: Wash and trim fish. Grill, fry or steam whole. Set fish aside and keep warm. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic, spring onions, ginger, pickled soy beans if using and sugar. Stir, reduce heat and cook for several minutes until flavours blend well. Add turmeric, stock, tamarind juice and pepper. Add fish sauce if using instead of pickled soybeans. Taste for balanced flavour. The sauce should be sweet, slightly salty, with a hint of sourness. Remove from heat. Stir in several tsp. of cornflour paste. Return to low heat. Add a little more, if necessary, stirring, until sauce is smooth. Stir in capsicum, onion and stir once or twice. Remove from heat. Using tongs, place the fish on a platter. Pour sauce over fish from head to tail. Garnish with coriander sprigs. Serve with rice.

PAD PAK RUAM - stir fried mixed vegetables

INGREDIENTS: 3 tbs. vegetable oil 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 400 - 500 gms mixed vegetables such as (Chinese cabbage, broccoli, green beans, Brussel sprouts, cucumber, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, bean sprouts, and spinach) 3 tbs. water 1 tbs. fish sauce 1 tbs. oyster sauce tsp. sugar tsp. white pepper PREPARATION: Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry garlic for a few seconds. Add vegetables (except bean sprouts if using). Stir-fry quickly for about a minute while vegetables sputter noisily because of their high water content. Add water, fish and oyster sauces, sugar and pepper. Stir quickly and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly cooked but crisp. If using bean sprouts, stir in just before you finish cooking. Remove from heat and serve.

NAM PLA WAN PAK CHEE - fresh whole coriander with

spicy tamarind dip
INGREDIENTS: 6 whole fresh coriander plants, roots included 3 tbs. dried shrimps, soaked for 5 minutes and drained 2 large dried chilies, soaked for 10 minutes and drained cup tamarind juice 2 tbs. palm or brown sugar 1 onion, neatly sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 1 tbs. chopped fresh coriander leaves PREPARATION: Prepare coriander plants by cleaning thoroughly and removing any broken or yellow leaves (do not remove roots). Arrange on a serving plate and set aside. Dry fry dried shrimps in a heavy-bottomed pan for several minutes. Remove from the pan and grind or pound finely. Slice chilies finely and dry fry, seeds included. Mix in a small bowl with tamarind juice, fish sauce and sugar. Stir well. Taste to see if extra tamarind juice, fish sauce or sugar is needed to balance the flavours of hot, sweet, sour and salty. Stir in ground shrimps, onion, garlic and coriander leaves. If necessary, add a little water to thin the sauce. Place in a bowl accompanied by the plate of whole coriander plants. Serve as a green salad side dish. To eat, simply break off a piece of stem or root and dip in the sauce.

PAK TOD - crisp deep fried vegetables

INGREDIENTS: BATTER: 125 gms cornflour tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. baking soda cup vegetable oil cup tepid water 3 - 4 cups variety of mixed vegetables cut in uniform size (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, celery, capsicum, green beans) 500 ml vegetable oil, for deep frying PREPARATION: BATTER: Place cornflour, salt, sugar, baking soda, oil and some of the water in a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork. Add more water if necessary to achieve a thin batter. Wait for bubbles to appear on the surface. Chill for 30 minutes. Lightly coat vegetable pieces with batter. Deep fry in very hot oil until golden. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Skim any burnt pieces of batter from the surface of the oil and take care the oil doesnt get too hot and smoke or burn. Serve with a bowl of sweet chili dipping sauce.

NAM JIM WAN - sweet chillie dipping sauce

INGREDIENTS: 100 gms pickled plums 4 large fresh red chilies 3 cloves garlic 125 gms sugar 1 tsp. salt cup vinegar 1 tsp. tamarind juice (optional) 3 tbs. water Chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish PREPARATION: Boil pickled plums in water for several minutes. Drain the blend with a little plum juice for a few seconds in a food processor. Pour into a saucepan. Set aside. Roughly blend chilies and garlic. Add to plum puree with sugar, salt and vinegar and tamarind juice, if using. Simmer mixture for about 10 minutes, taking care not to let it burn or stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Taste to see if extra sugar, salt or vinegar is needed. The flavour should be slightly sweeter than sour or salty. Add water to sauce while cooking, to maintain the consistency you require. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Thai snacks, particularly crisp fried foods. This sauce will keep in sterilized jars for several weeks in the refrigerator. Note: pickled plums sometimes called salted plums.

GAENG KWOW WAN GAI - green sweet chicken curry

INGREDIENTS: 2 tbs. vegetable oil 1 tbs. green curry paste (recipe below) 1 fresh green chili, finely sliced 4 Kaffir lime leaves, sliced 3 cups coconut milk 1 tbs. fish sauce 2 tbs. sugar 500 gms raw chicken meat, cut into bite sized pieces 30 gms drained canned bamboo shoots, sliced zucchini or eggplants 30 gms green peas 1 tbs. basil leaves, mint or young citrus leaves PRERARATION: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Briefly stir-fry curry paste, chili and lime leaves. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. When coconut milk begins to bubble, add chicken and bamboo shoots if using. Turn down heat and simmer to reduce sauce. If it becomes too thick, add a little water or more coconut milk. When chicken is cooked and sauce is of desired consistency, add peas and optional zucchini or eggplants, cooking briefly to retain their firmness. Remove from heat. Stir in basil leaves, leaving a few for garnishing. Serve with rice. GREEN CURRY SAUCE: 4 tbs. roughly chopped lemon grass, 1 tbs. fresh galangal (or if dried, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water), 2 tbs. chopped garlic, 1 onion chopped, 2 whole coriander plants chopped (including roots and stem), 1 tbs. lime or lemon zest, 15 fresh chilies, 10 black peppercorns, cracked, 2 tbs. ground coriander, 2 tbs. ground cumin, 2 tbs. shrimp paste, 1 tbs. salt, 3 cloves, 3 bayleaves, 2 tbs. vegetable oil. Blend or process all the ingredients together, using extra oil if necessary to achieve a smooth paste. Store in a clean jar in the refrigerator, where it will last for several weeks. Makes 1 cup.

PAD WOON SEN - stirfried glass noodles with vegetables

INGREDIENTS: 150 gms cellophane noodles (dried weight not cooked) 3 tbs. vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 carrot, thinly sliced 3 tbs. water or stock stalk small celery, sliced 50 gms Chinese cabbage, shredded 1 tbs. oyster sauce 1 tbs. fish sauce 1 tsp. sugar A pinch pepper PREPARATION: Soak noodles in warm water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok. Stir-fry garlic until golden. Add carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add water, celery, cabbage, sauces, sugar and pepper. Stir gently. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add noodles. Toss, so that the ingredients combine well and noodles heat through. Serve immediately.